Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
Introduction
This document contains a strategic plan for the 10-county Oklahoma region in and around Oklahoma City including Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, McClain, Oklahoma, Payne and Pottawatomie counties. During our process of preparing for this project we were fortunate that several key items fell into place for us to undertaking this challenge. First and foremost was the foresight by the Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board (COWIB) in understanding that our workforce investment area was impacted by and influenced a much broader area than our four counties. This was proven as we studied data supplied by the U.S. Department of Census and the U.S. Department of Labor both on the number and relationship of workers that commuted in a larger area. After reviewing the data and visiting with many of our economic developers, we understood that we live and work in a ten county region that is inter-dependent on the workforce living in each of the ten counties. We were also most fortunate that the U.S. Department of Labor was incentivizing regions to come to work together by issuing Regional Innovation Grants. We of course were already aware that the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce had pulled economic representatives from the ten counties and created the Oklahoma City Partnership which focused on sharing information about development opportunities that were becoming available in the region. The other Local Workforce Boards, East Central, South Central and North Central, all agreed that we shared some commonality and should work together on creating a strategic plan for the region.
We met with the Oklahoma City Partnership and the other LWIBs involved and they all agreed on submitting a grant proposal and collaborating to ensure its success. During the initial meeting with the OKC Partnership, a leadership team of Eddie Foreman, CEO of COWIB, Drew Dugan, Oklahoma City Chamber, Janet Yowell, Chair of the Partnership and Director of Edmond Economic Development, Richard Clements and Alba Weaver, both members of the Partnership and economic developers of OGE was created. In order to create a strategic plan for the region, all felt it was necessary to create an asset map of the resources available in the ten county area. The leadership team worked to draft an RFP for creating such a map along with a web based system that would be accessible for everyone to have access to the information we gathered. We received several bids and the leadership team selected the Center for Spatial Analysis (CSA) of the University of Oklahoma. During the next several months we met with team members from CSA and had them interact with a wide variety of economic developers and business and leaders from the region. All the time helping to design a GIS web based site that would provide the information needed for planning purposes. It was this process that helped foster the Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
collaboration in the region among all parties. The design was established and CSA continued working on the project. After many problems concerning staffing of the project at CSA a draft web site was established in the last quarter of 2010. At that time we were pressed for time and an RFP was established for a firm to facilitate some focus groups in the region to allow feedback on the information contained in the web site and what would prove to be helpful as we prepared to finish a strategic planning process. Executive Resource Center ERC was the winning proposer and Donna Miller, principal, proved to be a very valuable asset during the limited time we gave ERC. The focus groups and final planning exercise was done within our time frames and we ended with over 70 individuals representing businesses, community based organizations, education, economic development, and employment engaged in the strategic planning.
Throughout the process, participants focused on capitalizing on what works in our region and what we do best. We focused on where we want to be, not on where we have been and drew on our best experiences to focus on our true potential as a region.
For purposes of this discussion, we defined the key stakeholders or “customers” of our plan to be employers, employees, businesses, society, tax payers, the educational system and the community as a whole.
To begin the process, we held focus groups in December of 2010. The objectives of the meetings were to review a website that had been created to offer a competitive strategic advantage to the 10-county region by providing an understanding the available workforce, identifying industries that are growing and the job opportunities this will create, assessing the types of skills and capabilities required of the labor force to meet these needs and determining how these skills and data can best be developed.
The website provides easy access to information contained in 84 different public databases and arranges the data geographically. This information will be used to create a strategic competitive advantage for the ten-county region by providing information in unique and different ways. This will allow the region to identify and capitalize on opportunities for economic and job growth.
The website and its data can best be used to help employers find employees with the required skills, job seekers to find jobs, economic developers to obtain data to hasten responses to RFP’s, as a marketing tool for those considering relocation to the region, as a tool for schools to Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
better counsel students on career choices and provide data to identify training gaps and predict future workforce needs.
The website URL is http://cowib.csa.ou.edu and the User’s Guide is attached.
Regional Strengths
We have strong, collaborative and visionary leaders in the 10-country area. They are good at both preserving history and promoting it in a positive way. For example, since 1993, we have implemented MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects). MAPS is Oklahoma City's visionary capital improvement program to create new and upgraded sports, recreation, entertainment, cultural and convention facilities. It has also provided enhanced access to affordable, high quality education at all levels, created an internationally renowned competitive rowing venue and lured a National Basketball League team to the region.
Our region is in a desirable, highly accessible location due to the highway system and air traffic patterns. We have a high quality of life and a low cost of both living and doing business. We actively volunteer and share best practices. People are resilient, supportive in times of crisis and welcome others with open arms. A recent article in Parade Magazine has indicated that Oklahomans contribute to charities at a higher per capita rate than any other state in the union.
Four of Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 Companies to Work For are headquartered in our state. Three of the four, Chesapeake Energy, Devon Energy and American Fidelity are in our region and play a very important role in our community.
We have a diverse economic base consisting of agriculture, energy, tribal partners, Tinker AFB, telecom, high tech, healthcare, research, bioscience and aerospace.
Economic Growth
Participants in the focus group and strategic planning process believe that there is economic and job growth in aerospace, aviation, agriculture, construction, energy, healthcare, customer service and medicine.
Oklahoma is customer service oriented state. However, that is a mature business in Oklahoma and may not continue to grow as much as it has in the past. Some participants, in the planning Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
process, suggested that the area should develop as a medical destination. We have a bio-medicine corridor in the region and could act as a resource for telemedicine.
At this time, many employers are hiring in a recovery mode rather than in a growth mode. However, the good news is that Oklahoma’s economy appears to be strong to those outside the state. We need to capitalize on this perception to drive entrepreneurialism and innovation while times are relatively good. As you can see in the following graph, our labor force has remained strong even through the recession:
Labor Force9698100102104106108110200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011Index: January 2000 = 100RecessionOklahomaUnited States
As the crisis escalates in the Middle East, our region has the opportunity to enhance its position in the oil industry. We also have opportunity to enhance our standing in the green economy by focusing on wind energy, solar energy and natural gas.
It is also hoped that the region can grow its expertise and experience in the biosciences and nanotechnology areas as well.
According to Economic Modeling Specialists, industries that will have double digit growth through 2015 in the 10-county region include agriculture, natural resources and mining, education and health services and financial services. Other industries with healthy growth are Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
projected to be construction, leisure and hospitality, professional and business services. Growth and Earnings per Worker or EPW in the industries are shown in the following graph:
2010 - 2015 Size and Growth Description
2010 Jobs
2015 Jobs
Growth
% Growth
2010 EPW
Agriculture, natural resources, and mining
66,990
76,987
9,997
15%
$76,642
Construction
48,821
52,578
3,757
8%
$44,073
Education and health services
99,179
108,748
9,569
10%
$44,714
Financial activities
74,347
81,602
7,255
10%
$40,574
Government
151,538
160,077
8,539
6%
$62,638
Information
15,197
15,234
37
0%
$49,768
Leisure and hospitality
74,922
81,995
7,073
9%
$18,812
Manufacturing
38,688
38,917
229
1%
$55,674
Other services
39,382
41,340
1,958
5%
$24,369
Professional and business services
107,986
117,602
9,616
9%
$43,331
Trade, transportation, and utilities
133,804
135,771
1,967
1%
$41,768
Total
850,855
910,850
59,995
7%
$46,749
Job Growth Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
According to Economic Modeling Specialists, the occupations with the greatest growth through 2015 will be construction and extraction, management, business and financial occupations, professional and related occupations and service occupations. Military occupations will decline and farming, fishing and forestry, transportation and material moving occupations will be relatively flat.
Description
2010 Jobs
2015 Jobs
Growth
% Growth
2010 Median Hourly Earnings
Construction and extraction occupations
55,907
61,598
5,691
10%
$17.96
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
2,616
2,648
32
1%
$11.08
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
32,557
34,264
1,707
5%
$17.44
Management, business, and financial occupations
128,180
140,148
11,968
9%
$21.98
Military occupations
13,459
13,370
-89
-1%
$16.75
Office and administrative support occupations
119,478
125,565
6,087
5%
$13.31 Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
Production occupations
40,452
41,394
942
2%
$14.28
Professional and related occupations
164,627
179,809
15,182
9%
$22.96
Sales and related occupations
102,220
107,017
4,797
5%
$11.71
Service occupations
146,203
159,387
13,184
9%
$10.09
Transportation and material moving occupations
45,156
45,650
494
1%
$14.09
Total
850,855
910,850
59,995
7%
$16.34
Source: EMSI Complete Employment - 1st Quarter 2011
According to the Department of Commerce, the only job categories not negatively affected by the recession were in education and health services. Mining, construction, manufacturing, trade, transportation and utilities and profession and business services all saw a decline in jobs but should see some recovery by 2015.
Effect on EmploymentSource: BLS, Total non farm employment (Includes BLS January revision) -78.4-13.8-11.3-31.2-16.8-21.617.8-60.5-8.7-9.9-23.8-16.8-13.40-100-80-60-40-2002040Total EmploymentMiningConstructionManufacturingTrade, Trans & UtilitiesProf & Bus ServicesEd & Health ServicesJobs, in thousandsChange over RecessionYet to Recover
According to the stakeholders involved in the strategic planning process, there is a need for retail staff, salespeople, healthcare workers, craft workers (i.e., carpenters), manufacturing staff (particularly machinists and programmable logic controllers), technicians of all kinds (i.e. welders and assemblers), construction trade workers, truck drivers and heavy equipment Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
operators. At the managerial level and above, there is a need for people who understand the global economy, particularly in the areas of international law and finance, technology, financial savvy, math and sciences.
As the shortage of healthcare workers becomes more acute, healthcare facilities will have to find more cost effective ways of developing their employees on these skills; Oklahoma has a tremendous Career Tech system that would enable the workforce to gain these skills in a timely and cost effective manner.
We also have opportunities associated with building specialized medical expertise around minority populations, telemedicine, returning military to the workforce and expanding Tinker AFB.
Labor Market
Surveys indicate that Oklahomans have a strong work ethic and strong cultural values. They are hardworking, friendly and community oriented.
As with many other states, the age wave coming through the workforce is of great concern to many employers because a significant portion of the skilled workforce will be retiring in a few years. It is therefore becoming even more important to match the requirements of employers with individuals entering the labor market. There are many high-paying jobs that are not being readily filled which do not require college degrees; greater effort needs to be made to communicate these opportunities to both parents and graduates
According to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce our unemployment rate is lower than the national average and has been lower since 2000. Oklahoma appears to be faring much better than the rest of the country through the recession. Although we have done relatively Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
well compared to other states, we have also lost jobs.Unemployment RateSource: BLS, LAUS and CPS 01234567891011200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011PercentRecessionOKUS
There could be a lot of opportunity in the “boomerang” population; those Oklahomans who left the state to take advantage of career opportunities who may now see the Oklahoma lifestyle as a desirable one for building their careers and rearing their children. The Department of Commerce has created a program to re-recruit these individuals back to the state.
Skills Gaps
Employers have an acute need for employees with “soft skills.” These core work-readiness skills include problem solving, customer service, leadership, emotional maturity, ethical behavior, written and verbal communication skills, teamwork, listening, conflict management, professionalism, punctuality, dependability and initiative.
There is a perception that generational differences play a role in differing expectations around work ethic, respect, sense of entitlement, earning the right to flexibility, professional appearance and meeting employer demands. Planning participants remarked that, in the past, people usually learned these skills from their families, which were then reinforced by their Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
places of worship. Now, however, we need the educational system and/or employers to help teach people these important skills.
As the opportunity in energy, medicine and aerospace grows, it is critical to promote knowledge around career paths in those sectors. We must continue to expand technology and professional education in energy, support entrepreneurial endeavors, and develop STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs as well as reading and language skills at all levels.
There is a shortage of skilled labor in healthcare. As a result, we will need to find more affordable ways to develop these skills. In addition, there are opportunities available in the green jobs involving wind, solar and gas energy.
Although there are new industries to consider, we shouldn’t lose sight of the service industry. We need to re-tool those lacking the technical and career readiness skills to play these roles going forward.
Educators, involved in the planning process, suggested that employers needed to be more open to transferrable job skills rather than just job titles. There is an overall need for a better educated workforce. Oklahoma’s educational ranking is the in the lower third of the nation.
After reviewing all of the data, input and discussion, we believe there are four major priorities to focus on in this plan:
1. Creating a highly effective education and career guidance system
2. Better integrating the public workforce system and the business community
3. Creating a strong, vibrant community
4. Capitalizing on technological advances to enhance our competitive position as a state
Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
Goal #1 – Creating a Highly Effective Education and Career Guidance System
Issues
The most prominent message from all the focus groups was the need for a much greater degree of collaboration between the business community and the schools from grade school through college. Currently, there is a huge gap between the skills of people who are entering the job market and the skills and capabilities required by employers. Businesses and schools operate as isolated islands of influence. They need to join forces and work together.
It was very clear to most participants that communication with students about careers needs to start earlier – even as early as grade school. High school career counselors need more real-world knowledge and experience and better resources to let students know about job opportunities and the required skills. The participants stated that it would be highly valuable to align and enhance the career counseling efforts of grade school personnel, career techs, training programs, community colleges and four-year colleges to ensure that all possible job opportunities and skill development mechanisms operate efficiently and effectively. Students need to know that there are lots of craft and blue-collar jobs available that provide people with a good living and do not require four-year degrees. They also need to know that Internships are an excellent way of raising student awareness and building the skills of those who will ultimately fill positions.
Our college education system is good and the career techs are excellent, but K-12 is perceived as having significant opportunity for improvement. There must be a much stronger tie between education and industry to close the gap between jobs and workers.
It is clear that the more education an individual has, the lower his or her likelihood of unemployment as shown in the graph below. Employers need a better educated workforce. Oklahoma is ranked in the lower third in the nation and if this continues, we will not enable us to reach our objectives.
Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
UnemploymentRate by EducationSource: BLS, LAUS 0246810121416Less than HSHigh SchoolSome collegeAssociateBachelor's Master'sProfessionalDoctoral2009 Unemployment Rate
Less than High School Education
Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
Higher Education
Ideas
Provide an affordable, high quality educational system Drive greater collaboration between business and education Deliver a skilled workforce based on employer demands Engender highly engaged students that get an innovative education and who are taught to learn Create a highly educated population Enhance accountability in schools Better communicate available resources Help students become work ready Help teachers to communicate the tie between what students learn and “real life.”
Priorities
Communicate about careers earlier in a student’s academic career Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
Give high school career counselors more real-world knowledge and experience and provide them with better resources to communicate available job opportunities and the skills required Align the career counseling of grade schools, career techs, training programs, community colleges and four year colleges to improve effectiveness and efficiency Use internships to raise student awareness of career opportunities Better communicate the abundance of well-paying craft opportunities that do not require a college degree to both graduating students and their parents Do a better job of aligning education with employers by having employers involved in developing curriculum and participating in the classroom Enhance student understanding of the opportunities available to them by better preparing career counselors and teachers to understand what employers need and want Brand the state of Oklahoma as a great place to live and work (capitalize on all of the awards we have been winning)
Action Plan
Business and Education Help to Train and Educate Students
Action
Dedicate mentors from industry to education
Use internships to have students gain a realistic view of the workforce and become more engaged in learning as a result (they better understand what they are being educated for)
Have industry and education share curriculum with each other (both sides); get industry involved in setting curriculum in the schools
Provide training/tools for educators to connect with business
Provide every School Board with a business companion; establish vibrant advisory committees
Host joint meetings
Provide tax incentives to industry to dedicate resources to educators
Improve Literacy
Potential Actions
Work on 3rd grade reading (consider requiring children to read before leaving the 3rd grade)
Promote corporate, private and public philanthropic partnerships to create an Oklahoma Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
literacy fund
Fund a highly qualified reading specialist for all schools who can diagnose reading difficulties and prescribe methods to help students achieve the greatest success possible
Tutor “at risk” kids
Engage volunteers to teach adults to read
Measures of Success
We will move toward becoming the national leader in education when we have higher graduation rates and better test scores. Our education system and our employers will cooperate to raise the awareness of the needs and the resources available. There will be active partnerships between business and education to drive a high degree of synergy between the educational system and business leaders.
We will also keep a greater percentage of the individuals graduating from college in our state rather than losing them to our neighbors.
Goal #2 – Better Integration of the Public Workforce System and the Business Community
Issues
There is a major gap and lack of communication among all of the available government services, which include OESC, COWIB, Department of Commerce, Department of Rehabilitative Services, Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services, etc. Job hunters go back and forth among the services and complete the application process over and over again.
In addition to the lack of coordination among the agencies, employers and job hunters are unaware of the services agencies offer. For example, Human Resources professionals have limited knowledge of the available services. Furthermore, if an applicant is not technologically savvy, he or she may never be able to access key opportunities.
In addition, many focus group members believe the information and services provided by these agencies are woefully out of date. They think that the career counseling provided may be based on a job market that no longer exists. Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
Workforce Investment Act money should be spent on building skills where jobs are available and we should capitalize on the networks that are already available in the area. These include professional associations, such as SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management), the Senior Executive Human Resources Forum (senior HR leaders), organizations for educators and professors, Metro Employer’s Council and Leadership Oklahoma.
Once again, we have isolated islands of influence that are not working together; it would be highly beneficial to have everyone band together for the greater good.
Ideas
Create a single point of contact for available services Spend WIA money on building skills where jobs are available Have industry, government and education collaborate on workforce related issues
Priorities
Enhance the level of awareness of employers and job hunters of the government services available to them Streamline the job hunting services between public entities so that candidates don’t have to apply over and over again
Measures of Success
The average income in the region is higher than the national average while keeping down the cost of living and increasing employment in the higher skill jobs.
Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
OK Median Household Income
Goal #3 – Create a Strong and Vibrant Community
Issues
Oklahoma has one of the highest female incarceration rates in the country and our schools are ranked in the bottom third of the country. Our average income is below the national average and less of our citizens, on average, have college degrees. It is time to pull together to enhance our standing and increase our competitive position nationally.
In addition, some participants, in the planning process, thought there might be a perception that Oklahomans have difficulty working with people who do not look like them or are from different backgrounds and cultures. We need to improve mindsets about different people and cultures so that we can broaden our potential employee base and better serve our diverse constituencies.
Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
Ideas
Maintain high economic growth while retaining a small town atmosphere Drive toward a high standard of living and a high quality of life Enhance our state’s brand to the point that we become known for our healthy lifestyle, recreation and alternative transportation systems Foster innovation and collaboration between groups of people Conserve our natural resources Support stable families Improve access to public transportation and child care
Priorities
Create a fully literate populace Engender greater accountability of individuals for their actions around health and wellness Provide resources to individuals at risk (felons, those on public assistance, undocumented individuals and those who are disabled) to ensure they benefit as well Lower incarceration rates by improving preventative and rehabilitation programs Enhance collaboration between churches, schools and social service organizations Provide access to skill development to enhance employability
Action Plan
Get the Community Involved in Creating the Solution
Potential Actions
Promote our common goals
Link education and employers
Encourage businesses to adopt a school
Develop a community group made up of business, education and civic leaders
Encourage people to write their legislators and vote for a regional MAPS program
Bring community groups together to address promoting solutions
Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
Reduce Crime and Drug Use
Potential Actions
Initiate a MAPS 4 project
Focus on higher education and the Metro Tech system
Create more green jobs
Institute more court diversion programs and drug treatment programs
Enhance community involvement, corporate sponsorship and overall commitment to develop alternative activities in arts and sports for youth
Match every “at risk” child with a mentor
Initiate more drug programs that focus on youth
Provide better education, mentoring and libraries in jails
Provide programs and resources to help people avoid or overcome substance abuse
Risk Taking
Potential Actions
Capitalize on the Creativity Project and the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology to drive innovation - strive to become the new Silicon Valley
Establish an advisory board to deliver critical data to state officials on the importance of improving education in Oklahoma Educate each other on the value of risk taking Provide leadership and entrepreneurial education Minimize the repercussions of failure
Suggest legislation that consolidates “like” state functions into one administrative entity to reduce costs, increase efficiency and fully utilize our resources
Provide more small business assistance (loans, grants, tech centers) and tax breaks for new businesses
Less big government
Invite business owners to speak in classrooms to increase entrepreneurial spirit
Create an international airport with light rail to other cities in the state
Become viewed as a national leader
Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
Measures of Success
Our citizens will be personally fulfilled and more self-sufficient. The population will increase, incomes will increase, unemployment will decrease, drop-out rates will decrease and our health indicators will improve. We will have lower crime rates, less abuse and a smaller number of unwed mothers.
Goal #4 - Capitalize on technological advances to enhance our competitive position
Issues
Technology should be used to get the word out. Skype, for example, could be used for collaborative meetings across the ten-county region. Facebook could also be used to engage key participants. The Shawnee Economic Development organization has an excellent newsletter that could be a model for the ten-county region for communicating with employers, job hunters and economic developers.
Ideas
Capitalize on technology to get the word out and engage key participants Share economic development best practices across the region Capitalize on existing networks more effectively
Priorities
Help technologically challenged individuals to access to key opportunities Modernize the job hunting services provided by various public entities and agencies
Action Plan
Potential Actions
Work with state’s chief information office
Consolidate the state’s data into one system
Create a portal that would enable interactive connections between people and jobs. Provide a Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
tool that everyone in the state could use to provide access to young people changing careers, manage educational credentials online, take online assessments, post openings, sell careers and let industries promote themselves to potential job candidates.
Create a regional publication that would promote the entire region, share best practices and encourage collaboration.
Encourage partners who provide access to the internet (i.e., public libraries and educational institutions) to communicate and promote technological products and services.
Measures of Success
The electronic system, or portal, is widely known throughout the 10-county region as the place to access job and career information. A large number of non-workforce organizations make the system a part of their standard offerings and all industry sectors participate.
Constituency
Measures of Success
Employers
Skilled, competent workforce
Right person with the right skills in the right job at the right time
Highly productive employees
Better bottom line profit
Satisfied customers
More resources
Reduced turnover
More profitable business
A greater number of potential consumers of their products and services
A system that helps them meet their hiring needs
An educated workforce that is qualified to do the job that the employer needs to have done
High productivity
High morale
Community
Stability and growth of employers and jobs
Growing economy
Great region to live in
Decrease in poverty rates Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
Increase in college graduate retention
Increased graduation rates
Employees
Employability
Good wages
Respect for job seekers
Pride in excellence
Resources for education
Low unemployment
Society
Return on investments
High quality of life
Value in meeting the needs of key stakeholders
Independent residents
Happiness, satisfaction and self-actualization
Social fulfillment
Taxpayer
Efficient, affordable services
Education System
Increased educational achievement
Business partnership
Participants in the planning process were asked to imagine what life would be like in the 10-country region in 2016 if all we hoped for came to fruition.
These were their responses:
Everyone in the region would be literate Citizens would be more engaged in their community and not as isolated from one another We would have full employment Everyone would have access to, and an understanding of, healthcare Education would be valued and more tax money would be dedicated to it There would be less crime We would have more constructive meetings and people would be moved to act Employers would commit to helping and getting their employees involved Volunteerism would be encouraged in education and industry There would be a better use of, and access to, social service
Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
The WIBs in the 10-county region have an outstanding opportunity to help a variety of constituencies work toward common goals and enhance business and industry participation in community service. They can become a central point of contact for all available public services and get industry and education to collaborate on workforce related issues.
The WIBs are in a unique position to be able to look out for the common good, encourage everyone to display a self-less attitude and ensure equal access to all key constituencies.
Together, we can drive full employment, get everyone in the region to collaborate, share relevant information and find a way to determine and capitalize on the impact of “the System.”
Conclusion
The Workforce Investment Boards can play a vital role in bringing everyone together on key priorities that impact the entire region. The WIBs are a neutral 3rd party that can play a critical role in getting everyone to let go of their differences and work together for the common good.
There was a great deal of excitement and collegiality in the strategic planning processes. When asked to split up to work on different things, the cross-functional-organizational teams we had created did not want to split up. They had bonded and begun to see themselves as a team. It is important to capitalize on this momentum and keep the participants engaged going forward. Several participants volunteered to stay engaged by working on committees to address each of the goals outlined. The LWIBs will use this process to ensure that we continue to move the process forward and each have volunteered to help with the committee work.

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Central Oklahoma’s
Regional Economic Alliance For Prosperity
Strategic Plan
Introduction
This document contains a strategic plan for the 10-county Oklahoma region in and around Oklahoma City including Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, McClain, Oklahoma, Payne and Pottawatomie counties. During our process of preparing for this project we were fortunate that several key items fell into place for us to undertaking this challenge. First and foremost was the foresight by the Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board (COWIB) in understanding that our workforce investment area was impacted by and influenced a much broader area than our four counties. This was proven as we studied data supplied by the U.S. Department of Census and the U.S. Department of Labor both on the number and relationship of workers that commuted in a larger area. After reviewing the data and visiting with many of our economic developers, we understood that we live and work in a ten county region that is inter-dependent on the workforce living in each of the ten counties. We were also most fortunate that the U.S. Department of Labor was incentivizing regions to come to work together by issuing Regional Innovation Grants. We of course were already aware that the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce had pulled economic representatives from the ten counties and created the Oklahoma City Partnership which focused on sharing information about development opportunities that were becoming available in the region. The other Local Workforce Boards, East Central, South Central and North Central, all agreed that we shared some commonality and should work together on creating a strategic plan for the region.
We met with the Oklahoma City Partnership and the other LWIBs involved and they all agreed on submitting a grant proposal and collaborating to ensure its success. During the initial meeting with the OKC Partnership, a leadership team of Eddie Foreman, CEO of COWIB, Drew Dugan, Oklahoma City Chamber, Janet Yowell, Chair of the Partnership and Director of Edmond Economic Development, Richard Clements and Alba Weaver, both members of the Partnership and economic developers of OGE was created. In order to create a strategic plan for the region, all felt it was necessary to create an asset map of the resources available in the ten county area. The leadership team worked to draft an RFP for creating such a map along with a web based system that would be accessible for everyone to have access to the information we gathered. We received several bids and the leadership team selected the Center for Spatial Analysis (CSA) of the University of Oklahoma. During the next several months we met with team members from CSA and had them interact with a wide variety of economic developers and business and leaders from the region. All the time helping to design a GIS web based site that would provide the information needed for planning purposes. It was this process that helped foster the Central Oklahoma’s
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collaboration in the region among all parties. The design was established and CSA continued working on the project. After many problems concerning staffing of the project at CSA a draft web site was established in the last quarter of 2010. At that time we were pressed for time and an RFP was established for a firm to facilitate some focus groups in the region to allow feedback on the information contained in the web site and what would prove to be helpful as we prepared to finish a strategic planning process. Executive Resource Center ERC was the winning proposer and Donna Miller, principal, proved to be a very valuable asset during the limited time we gave ERC. The focus groups and final planning exercise was done within our time frames and we ended with over 70 individuals representing businesses, community based organizations, education, economic development, and employment engaged in the strategic planning.
Throughout the process, participants focused on capitalizing on what works in our region and what we do best. We focused on where we want to be, not on where we have been and drew on our best experiences to focus on our true potential as a region.
For purposes of this discussion, we defined the key stakeholders or “customers” of our plan to be employers, employees, businesses, society, tax payers, the educational system and the community as a whole.
To begin the process, we held focus groups in December of 2010. The objectives of the meetings were to review a website that had been created to offer a competitive strategic advantage to the 10-county region by providing an understanding the available workforce, identifying industries that are growing and the job opportunities this will create, assessing the types of skills and capabilities required of the labor force to meet these needs and determining how these skills and data can best be developed.
The website provides easy access to information contained in 84 different public databases and arranges the data geographically. This information will be used to create a strategic competitive advantage for the ten-county region by providing information in unique and different ways. This will allow the region to identify and capitalize on opportunities for economic and job growth.
The website and its data can best be used to help employers find employees with the required skills, job seekers to find jobs, economic developers to obtain data to hasten responses to RFP’s, as a marketing tool for those considering relocation to the region, as a tool for schools to Central Oklahoma’s
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better counsel students on career choices and provide data to identify training gaps and predict future workforce needs.
The website URL is http://cowib.csa.ou.edu and the User’s Guide is attached.
Regional Strengths
We have strong, collaborative and visionary leaders in the 10-country area. They are good at both preserving history and promoting it in a positive way. For example, since 1993, we have implemented MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects). MAPS is Oklahoma City's visionary capital improvement program to create new and upgraded sports, recreation, entertainment, cultural and convention facilities. It has also provided enhanced access to affordable, high quality education at all levels, created an internationally renowned competitive rowing venue and lured a National Basketball League team to the region.
Our region is in a desirable, highly accessible location due to the highway system and air traffic patterns. We have a high quality of life and a low cost of both living and doing business. We actively volunteer and share best practices. People are resilient, supportive in times of crisis and welcome others with open arms. A recent article in Parade Magazine has indicated that Oklahomans contribute to charities at a higher per capita rate than any other state in the union.
Four of Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 Companies to Work For are headquartered in our state. Three of the four, Chesapeake Energy, Devon Energy and American Fidelity are in our region and play a very important role in our community.
We have a diverse economic base consisting of agriculture, energy, tribal partners, Tinker AFB, telecom, high tech, healthcare, research, bioscience and aerospace.
Economic Growth
Participants in the focus group and strategic planning process believe that there is economic and job growth in aerospace, aviation, agriculture, construction, energy, healthcare, customer service and medicine.
Oklahoma is customer service oriented state. However, that is a mature business in Oklahoma and may not continue to grow as much as it has in the past. Some participants, in the planning Central Oklahoma’s
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process, suggested that the area should develop as a medical destination. We have a bio-medicine corridor in the region and could act as a resource for telemedicine.
At this time, many employers are hiring in a recovery mode rather than in a growth mode. However, the good news is that Oklahoma’s economy appears to be strong to those outside the state. We need to capitalize on this perception to drive entrepreneurialism and innovation while times are relatively good. As you can see in the following graph, our labor force has remained strong even through the recession:
Labor Force9698100102104106108110200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011Index: January 2000 = 100RecessionOklahomaUnited States
As the crisis escalates in the Middle East, our region has the opportunity to enhance its position in the oil industry. We also have opportunity to enhance our standing in the green economy by focusing on wind energy, solar energy and natural gas.
It is also hoped that the region can grow its expertise and experience in the biosciences and nanotechnology areas as well.
According to Economic Modeling Specialists, industries that will have double digit growth through 2015 in the 10-county region include agriculture, natural resources and mining, education and health services and financial services. Other industries with healthy growth are Central Oklahoma’s
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projected to be construction, leisure and hospitality, professional and business services. Growth and Earnings per Worker or EPW in the industries are shown in the following graph:
2010 - 2015 Size and Growth Description
2010 Jobs
2015 Jobs
Growth
% Growth
2010 EPW
Agriculture, natural resources, and mining
66,990
76,987
9,997
15%
$76,642
Construction
48,821
52,578
3,757
8%
$44,073
Education and health services
99,179
108,748
9,569
10%
$44,714
Financial activities
74,347
81,602
7,255
10%
$40,574
Government
151,538
160,077
8,539
6%
$62,638
Information
15,197
15,234
37
0%
$49,768
Leisure and hospitality
74,922
81,995
7,073
9%
$18,812
Manufacturing
38,688
38,917
229
1%
$55,674
Other services
39,382
41,340
1,958
5%
$24,369
Professional and business services
107,986
117,602
9,616
9%
$43,331
Trade, transportation, and utilities
133,804
135,771
1,967
1%
$41,768
Total
850,855
910,850
59,995
7%
$46,749
Job Growth Central Oklahoma’s
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According to Economic Modeling Specialists, the occupations with the greatest growth through 2015 will be construction and extraction, management, business and financial occupations, professional and related occupations and service occupations. Military occupations will decline and farming, fishing and forestry, transportation and material moving occupations will be relatively flat.
Description
2010 Jobs
2015 Jobs
Growth
% Growth
2010 Median Hourly Earnings
Construction and extraction occupations
55,907
61,598
5,691
10%
$17.96
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
2,616
2,648
32
1%
$11.08
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
32,557
34,264
1,707
5%
$17.44
Management, business, and financial occupations
128,180
140,148
11,968
9%
$21.98
Military occupations
13,459
13,370
-89
-1%
$16.75
Office and administrative support occupations
119,478
125,565
6,087
5%
$13.31 Central Oklahoma’s
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Production occupations
40,452
41,394
942
2%
$14.28
Professional and related occupations
164,627
179,809
15,182
9%
$22.96
Sales and related occupations
102,220
107,017
4,797
5%
$11.71
Service occupations
146,203
159,387
13,184
9%
$10.09
Transportation and material moving occupations
45,156
45,650
494
1%
$14.09
Total
850,855
910,850
59,995
7%
$16.34
Source: EMSI Complete Employment - 1st Quarter 2011
According to the Department of Commerce, the only job categories not negatively affected by the recession were in education and health services. Mining, construction, manufacturing, trade, transportation and utilities and profession and business services all saw a decline in jobs but should see some recovery by 2015.
Effect on EmploymentSource: BLS, Total non farm employment (Includes BLS January revision) -78.4-13.8-11.3-31.2-16.8-21.617.8-60.5-8.7-9.9-23.8-16.8-13.40-100-80-60-40-2002040Total EmploymentMiningConstructionManufacturingTrade, Trans & UtilitiesProf & Bus ServicesEd & Health ServicesJobs, in thousandsChange over RecessionYet to Recover
According to the stakeholders involved in the strategic planning process, there is a need for retail staff, salespeople, healthcare workers, craft workers (i.e., carpenters), manufacturing staff (particularly machinists and programmable logic controllers), technicians of all kinds (i.e. welders and assemblers), construction trade workers, truck drivers and heavy equipment Central Oklahoma’s
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operators. At the managerial level and above, there is a need for people who understand the global economy, particularly in the areas of international law and finance, technology, financial savvy, math and sciences.
As the shortage of healthcare workers becomes more acute, healthcare facilities will have to find more cost effective ways of developing their employees on these skills; Oklahoma has a tremendous Career Tech system that would enable the workforce to gain these skills in a timely and cost effective manner.
We also have opportunities associated with building specialized medical expertise around minority populations, telemedicine, returning military to the workforce and expanding Tinker AFB.
Labor Market
Surveys indicate that Oklahomans have a strong work ethic and strong cultural values. They are hardworking, friendly and community oriented.
As with many other states, the age wave coming through the workforce is of great concern to many employers because a significant portion of the skilled workforce will be retiring in a few years. It is therefore becoming even more important to match the requirements of employers with individuals entering the labor market. There are many high-paying jobs that are not being readily filled which do not require college degrees; greater effort needs to be made to communicate these opportunities to both parents and graduates
According to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce our unemployment rate is lower than the national average and has been lower since 2000. Oklahoma appears to be faring much better than the rest of the country through the recession. Although we have done relatively Central Oklahoma’s
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well compared to other states, we have also lost jobs.Unemployment RateSource: BLS, LAUS and CPS 01234567891011200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011PercentRecessionOKUS
There could be a lot of opportunity in the “boomerang” population; those Oklahomans who left the state to take advantage of career opportunities who may now see the Oklahoma lifestyle as a desirable one for building their careers and rearing their children. The Department of Commerce has created a program to re-recruit these individuals back to the state.
Skills Gaps
Employers have an acute need for employees with “soft skills.” These core work-readiness skills include problem solving, customer service, leadership, emotional maturity, ethical behavior, written and verbal communication skills, teamwork, listening, conflict management, professionalism, punctuality, dependability and initiative.
There is a perception that generational differences play a role in differing expectations around work ethic, respect, sense of entitlement, earning the right to flexibility, professional appearance and meeting employer demands. Planning participants remarked that, in the past, people usually learned these skills from their families, which were then reinforced by their Central Oklahoma’s
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places of worship. Now, however, we need the educational system and/or employers to help teach people these important skills.
As the opportunity in energy, medicine and aerospace grows, it is critical to promote knowledge around career paths in those sectors. We must continue to expand technology and professional education in energy, support entrepreneurial endeavors, and develop STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs as well as reading and language skills at all levels.
There is a shortage of skilled labor in healthcare. As a result, we will need to find more affordable ways to develop these skills. In addition, there are opportunities available in the green jobs involving wind, solar and gas energy.
Although there are new industries to consider, we shouldn’t lose sight of the service industry. We need to re-tool those lacking the technical and career readiness skills to play these roles going forward.
Educators, involved in the planning process, suggested that employers needed to be more open to transferrable job skills rather than just job titles. There is an overall need for a better educated workforce. Oklahoma’s educational ranking is the in the lower third of the nation.
After reviewing all of the data, input and discussion, we believe there are four major priorities to focus on in this plan:
1. Creating a highly effective education and career guidance system
2. Better integrating the public workforce system and the business community
3. Creating a strong, vibrant community
4. Capitalizing on technological advances to enhance our competitive position as a state
Central Oklahoma’s
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Goal #1 – Creating a Highly Effective Education and Career Guidance System
Issues
The most prominent message from all the focus groups was the need for a much greater degree of collaboration between the business community and the schools from grade school through college. Currently, there is a huge gap between the skills of people who are entering the job market and the skills and capabilities required by employers. Businesses and schools operate as isolated islands of influence. They need to join forces and work together.
It was very clear to most participants that communication with students about careers needs to start earlier – even as early as grade school. High school career counselors need more real-world knowledge and experience and better resources to let students know about job opportunities and the required skills. The participants stated that it would be highly valuable to align and enhance the career counseling efforts of grade school personnel, career techs, training programs, community colleges and four-year colleges to ensure that all possible job opportunities and skill development mechanisms operate efficiently and effectively. Students need to know that there are lots of craft and blue-collar jobs available that provide people with a good living and do not require four-year degrees. They also need to know that Internships are an excellent way of raising student awareness and building the skills of those who will ultimately fill positions.
Our college education system is good and the career techs are excellent, but K-12 is perceived as having significant opportunity for improvement. There must be a much stronger tie between education and industry to close the gap between jobs and workers.
It is clear that the more education an individual has, the lower his or her likelihood of unemployment as shown in the graph below. Employers need a better educated workforce. Oklahoma is ranked in the lower third in the nation and if this continues, we will not enable us to reach our objectives.
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UnemploymentRate by EducationSource: BLS, LAUS 0246810121416Less than HSHigh SchoolSome collegeAssociateBachelor's Master'sProfessionalDoctoral2009 Unemployment Rate
Less than High School Education
Central Oklahoma’s
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Higher Education
Ideas
Provide an affordable, high quality educational system Drive greater collaboration between business and education Deliver a skilled workforce based on employer demands Engender highly engaged students that get an innovative education and who are taught to learn Create a highly educated population Enhance accountability in schools Better communicate available resources Help students become work ready Help teachers to communicate the tie between what students learn and “real life.”
Priorities
Communicate about careers earlier in a student’s academic career Central Oklahoma’s
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Give high school career counselors more real-world knowledge and experience and provide them with better resources to communicate available job opportunities and the skills required Align the career counseling of grade schools, career techs, training programs, community colleges and four year colleges to improve effectiveness and efficiency Use internships to raise student awareness of career opportunities Better communicate the abundance of well-paying craft opportunities that do not require a college degree to both graduating students and their parents Do a better job of aligning education with employers by having employers involved in developing curriculum and participating in the classroom Enhance student understanding of the opportunities available to them by better preparing career counselors and teachers to understand what employers need and want Brand the state of Oklahoma as a great place to live and work (capitalize on all of the awards we have been winning)
Action Plan
Business and Education Help to Train and Educate Students
Action
Dedicate mentors from industry to education
Use internships to have students gain a realistic view of the workforce and become more engaged in learning as a result (they better understand what they are being educated for)
Have industry and education share curriculum with each other (both sides); get industry involved in setting curriculum in the schools
Provide training/tools for educators to connect with business
Provide every School Board with a business companion; establish vibrant advisory committees
Host joint meetings
Provide tax incentives to industry to dedicate resources to educators
Improve Literacy
Potential Actions
Work on 3rd grade reading (consider requiring children to read before leaving the 3rd grade)
Promote corporate, private and public philanthropic partnerships to create an Oklahoma Central Oklahoma’s
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literacy fund
Fund a highly qualified reading specialist for all schools who can diagnose reading difficulties and prescribe methods to help students achieve the greatest success possible
Tutor “at risk” kids
Engage volunteers to teach adults to read
Measures of Success
We will move toward becoming the national leader in education when we have higher graduation rates and better test scores. Our education system and our employers will cooperate to raise the awareness of the needs and the resources available. There will be active partnerships between business and education to drive a high degree of synergy between the educational system and business leaders.
We will also keep a greater percentage of the individuals graduating from college in our state rather than losing them to our neighbors.
Goal #2 – Better Integration of the Public Workforce System and the Business Community
Issues
There is a major gap and lack of communication among all of the available government services, which include OESC, COWIB, Department of Commerce, Department of Rehabilitative Services, Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services, etc. Job hunters go back and forth among the services and complete the application process over and over again.
In addition to the lack of coordination among the agencies, employers and job hunters are unaware of the services agencies offer. For example, Human Resources professionals have limited knowledge of the available services. Furthermore, if an applicant is not technologically savvy, he or she may never be able to access key opportunities.
In addition, many focus group members believe the information and services provided by these agencies are woefully out of date. They think that the career counseling provided may be based on a job market that no longer exists. Central Oklahoma’s
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Workforce Investment Act money should be spent on building skills where jobs are available and we should capitalize on the networks that are already available in the area. These include professional associations, such as SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management), the Senior Executive Human Resources Forum (senior HR leaders), organizations for educators and professors, Metro Employer’s Council and Leadership Oklahoma.
Once again, we have isolated islands of influence that are not working together; it would be highly beneficial to have everyone band together for the greater good.
Ideas
Create a single point of contact for available services Spend WIA money on building skills where jobs are available Have industry, government and education collaborate on workforce related issues
Priorities
Enhance the level of awareness of employers and job hunters of the government services available to them Streamline the job hunting services between public entities so that candidates don’t have to apply over and over again
Measures of Success
The average income in the region is higher than the national average while keeping down the cost of living and increasing employment in the higher skill jobs.
Central Oklahoma’s
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OK Median Household Income
Goal #3 – Create a Strong and Vibrant Community
Issues
Oklahoma has one of the highest female incarceration rates in the country and our schools are ranked in the bottom third of the country. Our average income is below the national average and less of our citizens, on average, have college degrees. It is time to pull together to enhance our standing and increase our competitive position nationally.
In addition, some participants, in the planning process, thought there might be a perception that Oklahomans have difficulty working with people who do not look like them or are from different backgrounds and cultures. We need to improve mindsets about different people and cultures so that we can broaden our potential employee base and better serve our diverse constituencies.
Central Oklahoma’s
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Ideas
Maintain high economic growth while retaining a small town atmosphere Drive toward a high standard of living and a high quality of life Enhance our state’s brand to the point that we become known for our healthy lifestyle, recreation and alternative transportation systems Foster innovation and collaboration between groups of people Conserve our natural resources Support stable families Improve access to public transportation and child care
Priorities
Create a fully literate populace Engender greater accountability of individuals for their actions around health and wellness Provide resources to individuals at risk (felons, those on public assistance, undocumented individuals and those who are disabled) to ensure they benefit as well Lower incarceration rates by improving preventative and rehabilitation programs Enhance collaboration between churches, schools and social service organizations Provide access to skill development to enhance employability
Action Plan
Get the Community Involved in Creating the Solution
Potential Actions
Promote our common goals
Link education and employers
Encourage businesses to adopt a school
Develop a community group made up of business, education and civic leaders
Encourage people to write their legislators and vote for a regional MAPS program
Bring community groups together to address promoting solutions
Central Oklahoma’s
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Reduce Crime and Drug Use
Potential Actions
Initiate a MAPS 4 project
Focus on higher education and the Metro Tech system
Create more green jobs
Institute more court diversion programs and drug treatment programs
Enhance community involvement, corporate sponsorship and overall commitment to develop alternative activities in arts and sports for youth
Match every “at risk” child with a mentor
Initiate more drug programs that focus on youth
Provide better education, mentoring and libraries in jails
Provide programs and resources to help people avoid or overcome substance abuse
Risk Taking
Potential Actions
Capitalize on the Creativity Project and the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology to drive innovation - strive to become the new Silicon Valley
Establish an advisory board to deliver critical data to state officials on the importance of improving education in Oklahoma Educate each other on the value of risk taking Provide leadership and entrepreneurial education Minimize the repercussions of failure
Suggest legislation that consolidates “like” state functions into one administrative entity to reduce costs, increase efficiency and fully utilize our resources
Provide more small business assistance (loans, grants, tech centers) and tax breaks for new businesses
Less big government
Invite business owners to speak in classrooms to increase entrepreneurial spirit
Create an international airport with light rail to other cities in the state
Become viewed as a national leader
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Measures of Success
Our citizens will be personally fulfilled and more self-sufficient. The population will increase, incomes will increase, unemployment will decrease, drop-out rates will decrease and our health indicators will improve. We will have lower crime rates, less abuse and a smaller number of unwed mothers.
Goal #4 - Capitalize on technological advances to enhance our competitive position
Issues
Technology should be used to get the word out. Skype, for example, could be used for collaborative meetings across the ten-county region. Facebook could also be used to engage key participants. The Shawnee Economic Development organization has an excellent newsletter that could be a model for the ten-county region for communicating with employers, job hunters and economic developers.
Ideas
Capitalize on technology to get the word out and engage key participants Share economic development best practices across the region Capitalize on existing networks more effectively
Priorities
Help technologically challenged individuals to access to key opportunities Modernize the job hunting services provided by various public entities and agencies
Action Plan
Potential Actions
Work with state’s chief information office
Consolidate the state’s data into one system
Create a portal that would enable interactive connections between people and jobs. Provide a Central Oklahoma’s
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tool that everyone in the state could use to provide access to young people changing careers, manage educational credentials online, take online assessments, post openings, sell careers and let industries promote themselves to potential job candidates.
Create a regional publication that would promote the entire region, share best practices and encourage collaboration.
Encourage partners who provide access to the internet (i.e., public libraries and educational institutions) to communicate and promote technological products and services.
Measures of Success
The electronic system, or portal, is widely known throughout the 10-county region as the place to access job and career information. A large number of non-workforce organizations make the system a part of their standard offerings and all industry sectors participate.
Constituency
Measures of Success
Employers
Skilled, competent workforce
Right person with the right skills in the right job at the right time
Highly productive employees
Better bottom line profit
Satisfied customers
More resources
Reduced turnover
More profitable business
A greater number of potential consumers of their products and services
A system that helps them meet their hiring needs
An educated workforce that is qualified to do the job that the employer needs to have done
High productivity
High morale
Community
Stability and growth of employers and jobs
Growing economy
Great region to live in
Decrease in poverty rates Central Oklahoma’s
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Increase in college graduate retention
Increased graduation rates
Employees
Employability
Good wages
Respect for job seekers
Pride in excellence
Resources for education
Low unemployment
Society
Return on investments
High quality of life
Value in meeting the needs of key stakeholders
Independent residents
Happiness, satisfaction and self-actualization
Social fulfillment
Taxpayer
Efficient, affordable services
Education System
Increased educational achievement
Business partnership
Participants in the planning process were asked to imagine what life would be like in the 10-country region in 2016 if all we hoped for came to fruition.
These were their responses:
Everyone in the region would be literate Citizens would be more engaged in their community and not as isolated from one another We would have full employment Everyone would have access to, and an understanding of, healthcare Education would be valued and more tax money would be dedicated to it There would be less crime We would have more constructive meetings and people would be moved to act Employers would commit to helping and getting their employees involved Volunteerism would be encouraged in education and industry There would be a better use of, and access to, social service
Central Oklahoma’s
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The WIBs in the 10-county region have an outstanding opportunity to help a variety of constituencies work toward common goals and enhance business and industry participation in community service. They can become a central point of contact for all available public services and get industry and education to collaborate on workforce related issues.
The WIBs are in a unique position to be able to look out for the common good, encourage everyone to display a self-less attitude and ensure equal access to all key constituencies.
Together, we can drive full employment, get everyone in the region to collaborate, share relevant information and find a way to determine and capitalize on the impact of “the System.”
Conclusion
The Workforce Investment Boards can play a vital role in bringing everyone together on key priorities that impact the entire region. The WIBs are a neutral 3rd party that can play a critical role in getting everyone to let go of their differences and work together for the common good.
There was a great deal of excitement and collegiality in the strategic planning processes. When asked to split up to work on different things, the cross-functional-organizational teams we had created did not want to split up. They had bonded and begun to see themselves as a team. It is important to capitalize on this momentum and keep the participants engaged going forward. Several participants volunteered to stay engaged by working on committees to address each of the goals outlined. The LWIBs will use this process to ensure that we continue to move the process forward and each have volunteered to help with the committee work.